Many patients during hospital stays or other medical treatments require nutrients and/or drugs to be administered via an intravenous (IV) procedure. Usually an IV catheter is inserted into a vein in the patient's forearm or leg and then connected to a setup consisting of catheter tubing, IV tubing, and an IV bag containing a solution of nutrients and/or drugs. After the administration of the IV solution, if the patient does not need more solution, or will not need more solution for quite some time, the IV catheter maybe removed from the patient. If the patient thereafter requires more IV solution, a new IV catheter is inserted. If the patient requires more solution immediately, another bag is connected to the IV tubing.
The cost of medical care in general, and the hospital care in particular, has increased substantially in recent years. Because of this increase in cost, many hospitals now send patients home earlier than in years past. In some instances, these patients are sent home to further recover from their illness or injury, and may be attended to by either live-in or part time nurses. The growing tendency of hospitals to discharge patients earlier than in years past has lead to changes in IV procedures.
Specifically, in connection with an early hospital release, a patient may be sent home with a chronically-implanted IV site. A chronically implanted IV site consists of a catheter and its associated catheter tubing which is left implanted in the patient's vein, but which is capped off with a plug and a luer. Whenever a patient is in need of nutrients or drugs, a nurse can remove the plug and luer, and then attach IV tubing and an IV bag to the IV site. This procedure can be done at the patient's home, at an infusion center on outpatient basis, at a nursing home, at an AIDS treatment center, or at a hospice.
One problem however with a chronically-implanted IV site is that any moisture collecting around the IV site may act as a medium for the ingress of bacteria into the patient through the break in the skin where the IV catheter enters a vein. Consequently, an IV site must be protected during exposure to moisture making bathing inconvenient. In fact, showering is, as a practical matter, not permitted when a patient is provided with an implanted IV site.
Because infection of the IV site will lead to costly additional medical treatment, the protection of the site from moisture and subsequent infection is a powerful economic incentive.